Card shuffler

ABSTRACT

A card shuffler with a drivable shuffling storage means ( 2′ ) which is provided with compartments ( 69 ) for receiving cards ( 13 ) and is associated with an input apparatus for the insertion of cards one by one into the compartments ( 69 ) and an output apparatus spaced from the same for the shuffled cards, with the drive of the shuffling storage means ( 2′ ), the input apparatus and the output apparatus being controlled by a microprocessor and shuffled cards supplied to the output apparatus being adjusted with respect to their number in stacks to the number of cards necessary per player for the respective card game. In order to improve the shuffling result in such a shuffler it is provided that the cards supplied to the output apparatus are taken from at least two compartments ( 69 ) of the shuffling storage means ( 2′ ).

[0001] The invention relates to a card shuffler according to thepreamble of claim 1.

[0002] Card shuffling devices have been known for a long time, e.g. fromU.S. Pat. No. 4,659,082 for example. In this known shuffler theshuffling vessel is formed by a horizontally arranged drivable drumwhich is provided with radially extending shafts for receiving a cardeach. An input station for receiving a stack of discarded playing cardsis provided through which the individual shafts of the drum aresupplied. The storage container for the shuffled cards is supplied bythe drum. Following the activation of a card ejector, the individualcards are pushed into the storage container at random.

[0003] A similar card shuffler has become known from U.S. Pat. No.4,586,712 in which the drum is arranged perpendicular.

[0004] A very high degree of shuffling is achieved with such cardshufflers. The foreseeability of the card sequence in the shuffled cardstack is virtually impossible for a third party even in the case ofusing electronic aids.

[0005] Said known solutions allow retrieving the shuffled cardsindividually from the respective output apparatus. This leads to thedisadvantage, however, that such card shufflers can only be used forcertain games, but not for such games where a removal in stacks of theshuffled cards is provided.

[0006] A card shuffler is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,154 whichallows preparing the cards in a stack-wise fashion. The card shuffler asdisclosed therein is provided with a shuffling vessel for receivingseveral cards per compartment, with the number of shuffled cards percompartment always corresponding to the number of cards per playerrequired for the respective game. This number of required cards perplayer is known as “hand” in the field. A hand corresponds to five cardsin the game of poker. This means that as many cards are mixed in acompartment as are dealt to a player in a game round. In a card shuffleraccording to U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,154, a shuffling process takes placeduring the random filling of the cards into the individual compartmentsof the shuffling container. The cards are always dealt in thecomposition with which the cards were shuffled per compartment. Thisleads to the disadvantage that the degree of shuffling of the cards isoften very low in such card games where an entire hand of cards is to bedealt. A further disadvantage is that always the preset required numberof cards per played needs to be shuffled in each of the compartments.

[0007] It is the object of the present invention to avoid thisdisadvantage and to propose a card shuffler of the kind mentioned abovewhich is capable of cutting a hand of playing cards, with the degree ofshuffling being very high and the shuffling process still being capableof being kept very short.

[0008] This is achieved in accordance with the invention in a cardshuffler of the kind mentioned above by the characterizing features ofclaim 1.

[0009] As a result, a further shuffling is performed in addition to afirst shuffling which occurs by the introduction of the cards into theshuffler storage means, namely during the composition of a hand ofplaying cards from several compartments of the shuffling storage meansand the delivery of said cards in stacks to the output apparatus.

[0010] The withdrawal of the cards from the shuffling storage means canoccur one by one, i.e. per card, according to claim 2, or by compartmentaccording to claim 3.

[0011] The features of claim 4 guarantee that no compartment contains acomplete hand of playing cards and in any case an additional shufflingis necessary.

[0012] The characterizing features of claim 5 allow using the cardshuffler in accordance with the invention for shuffling cards fordifferent card games.

[0013] The characterizing features of claim 6 lead to a particularlypreferable embodiment of the card shuffler.

[0014] The features of claim 7 ensure that after the withdrawal of thecards from the output apparatus by a games leader the process inaccordance with the invention can be performed again and a renewedpreset number of cards will be provided.

[0015] The characterizing features of claim 8 describe the method inaccordance with the invention.

[0016] The invention is now explained in closer detail, wherein:

[0017]FIG. 1 schematically shows a card shuffler in accordance with theinvention in which a cover has been removed;

[0018]FIG. 2 shows a top view of the input apparatus;

[0019]FIG. 3 shows detail of the output apparatus;

[0020]FIGS. 4 and 4A show details of variants of the arrangement of thecompartments of the shuffler storage means;

[0021]FIG. 5 shows an axonometric representation of the shuffler storagemeans.

[0022] A shuffling storage means 2′ is situated on a bracket consistingof two legs 9 situated on a base plate 1, which shuffling storage meansis formed by a rotatably held drum 2. Said drum 2 is connected viaspacers 62 (FIG. 6) with two disks 3. The flanges 2″ of the cylinder 2are provided with compartment-like slots 69 which are provided forreceiving cards.

[0023] Said disks 3 are each provided with a circular toothing 70. Theshuffling storage means 2′ can be driven via a pinion 4 and a toothedpulley 5 which is rigidly connected with the same, with both beingjointly held rotatably in plate bars 25, and a toothed belt 6 via asecond toothed pulley 7 and a motor 8. Said motor 8 is driven via arandom-check generator and optionally moves the shuffling storage means2′ in mutually opposite directions, so that an oscillating movement ofthe shuffling storage means 2′ can occur.

[0024] A storage container 10 for the played cards 13 is provided whichis part of an input apparatus. It comprises a wedge 11 which rolls offby way of a roller 12 which is arranged rotatably in the same on aninclined floor of the storage container 10 against two elastic rollers14 (FIG. 2). The two rollers 14 are held rotatably on a common shaft 28in the two plate bars 25 and can be driven jointly with the rollers 15via two pulleys 26, a toothed belt 29 as well as a pulley 27 via a motor17. Two rollers 16 touch the two rollers 15 at the circumference, sothat they are co-rotated by the surface friction.

[0025] The pair of rollers 19 and the pair of rollers 18 which touchesthe same at the circumference, which each sit on a shaft 30, aredrivable in the manner as described above by the motor 23.

[0026] The two levers 21 are used for completely pushing in therespectively moved card into a compartment 69 of the shuffling storagemeans 2′ and are oscillatingly drivable by way of a rod 22 which isswivelably connected with one of the levers 21 via a shaft 34 by meansof an eccentric plate 23 seated on a motor.

[0027] The output of cards 13 from the compartments 69 in the cardstorage means 42 is carried out by means of two swivel arms 35 which areswivelably held in the two legs 9 and are oscillatingly drivable bymeans of levers 37 and by means of an eccentric plate 38 seated on amotor. These two swivel arms 35 each carry at their upper end aninwardly projecting rail 36 (FIG. 3) which grasps the cards situated ina compartment 69 and conveys the same to a nip line of two clampingrollers 40. Said clamping rollers 40 are held in the plate bars 45 andare simultaneously drivable by a motor 41.

[0028] The clamping rollers 40 convey the respectively moved cards 13 tothe card storage means 42 as shown in FIG. 1 for the shuffled cards forthe purpose of a stack-wise removal of the cards 13.

[0029] A card storage means 42 is formed substantially by a U-shapedtable 43 in which the cards 13 are deposited on a stack 44. The cardscan be upwardly removed from said table 43 by the croupier in anoptionally stack-wise manner.

[0030] As is shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A, springs 51, 52 are provided in thecompartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2′, which springs producea clamping of the card(s) 13 pushed into the respective compartment 69.

[0031] A spring 52 is provided with a bend-off 55 which covers theradially outer openings of the compartments 69 and securely preventsthat the cards are ejected outwardly by centrifugal force during therotation of the shuffling storage means 2′.

[0032] The springs 51 according to FIG. 5A are arranged as bent oroffset leaf springs and are inserted into a slot 53 of the one wall ofthe compartment 69 and press against the respective opposite wall of thecompartment 69. The card pushed into the respective compartment 69 istherefore clamped between said spring 51 and the opposite wall of thecompartment 69 and is held in this way in the respective compartment 69.

[0033] The output of the cards of a compartment 69 is performed in sucha way that the card 13 or a stack of up to nine cards for example isejected with force. This occurs by means of the swiveling arms 35 andthe rails 36, as has already been explained above. The springs 51, 52are deformed during the ejection of the card(s) 13.

[0034] As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the drum 2 rests with the axlejournals 57 in receiving means of the legs 9 and can be removed orlifted off from the same with ease. Since the compartments 69 areprovided with springs 51, 52, the cards 13 can remain in theircompartments when the drum 2 is removed.

[0035] Below there is a detailed description of how the card shuffler inaccordance with the invention works.

[0036] Before the card shuffler is put into operation the game leaderenters the type of card game via an input device (not shown) or thenumber of cards per player which is provided for this type of card game.Unshuffled cards, i.e. such that have already been used in the game, arethen placed in the storage container 10, with the wedge 11 first beingpulled away in the direction away from the shuffling storage means 2′ inorder to enable the insertion of the card stack. Once the stack has beenentered, the wedge 11 is released again and presses the cards 13 againstthe two rollers 15. Lever 21 is used to push the individual cards 13into different compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2′. Thelatter is rotated in a random fashion via motor 8, toothed pulleys 5, 7,and pinions 4, so that the cards are distributed in a random way amongthe individual compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2′.

[0037] The removal of the cards 13 from the compartments 69 occurs bythe swiveling arms 35 and the respective rails 36, with the same alwaysemptying an entire compartment in the present embodiment. It is alsopossible, however, to remove one card 13 each from the compartment 69 ofthe shuffling storage means 2′. After each removal of a card 13 or thecontent of cards from a compartment 69 and the depositing of the same inan output apparatus 42, the shuffling storage means 2′ is rotatedfurther in a random fashion, so that the next removal can occur fromanother compartment 69. In this way a shuffling-out process is performedin addition to the shuffling-in process in the shuffling storage means2′ (double shuffling). The relevant aspect is that in total only as manycards are removed from the shuffling storage means 2′ and are depositedin the output apparatus 42 so that the preset required number of cardsper player is achieved (hand of playing cards). After reaching thisnumber no further cards 13 are taken from the compartments 69. In thecase of the withdrawal of merely one card from one compartment 69 of theshuffling storage means 2′ it is thus necessary to repeat the process ofwithdrawal according to the number of required cards per player. In thecase of removing all cards from a compartment, it is necessary that themicroprocessor always stores how many cards are already stored in acompartment when shuffling in the cards into the shuffling storagemeans. When emptying the compartment, the microprocessor can thencalculate which compartments need to be emptied in order to enable thedeposit of the required number of cards in the depositing apparatus 42.

[0038] Once the preset number of cards has been deposited in the outputapparatus 42, the game leader will notice that the shuffling process iscompleted and that a stack of cards is present in the output apparatus42. He can pick up the same with one hand and immediately hand it overto a player. The counting of the cards is no longer required. As soon asthe output apparatus is empty, this is recognized by a sensor 101 andthe card shuffler begins removing the hand of playing cards from thecard shuffling storage means 2′ for the next player.

1. A card shuffler with a drivable shuffling storage means (2′) which is provided with compartments (69) for receiving cards (13) and is associated with an input apparatus (10) for the insertion of cards one by one into the compartments (69) and an output apparatus (42) for the shuffled cards spaced from the input apparatus, with the drive of the shuffling storage means (2′), the input apparatus and the output apparatus (42) being controlled by a microprocessor and shuffled cards supplied to the output apparatus (42) being adjusted with respect to their number in stacks to the number of cards necessary per player for the respective card game, characterized in that the cards supplied to the output apparatus (42) are taken from at least two compartments (69) of the shuffling storage means (2′).
 2. A card shuffler as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that with each withdrawal process from the shuffling storage means (2′) one card each is removed from each compartment (69).
 3. A card shuffler as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that with each withdrawal process from the shuffling storage means (2′) all cards (13) of a compartment (69) are removed.
 4. A card shuffler as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that not more than half the number of cards required per player is stored in each compartment (69) of the shuffling storage means (2′).
 5. A card shuffler as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the microprocessor can be informed via an input apparatus (10) about the necessary number of cards per player.
 6. A card shuffler as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the shuffling storage means (2′) is formed by a drum.
 7. A card shuffler according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the output apparatus is provided with a sensor 101 which is connected with the microprocessor.
 8. A method for shuffling and cutting cards in stacks, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: providing a stack of unshuffled cards; defining a number of cards per player; random insertion of said cards into different compartments of a shuffling storage means; withdrawal of a card or, optionally, all cards from a randomly selected compartment of the shuffling storage means and placing said card in an output apparatus; repeating the preceding process step until the defined number of cards per player has been placed in the output apparatus. 